MN Food Safety Partnership
Organics “Recycling”
in the
Western Lake Superior Sanitary District
June 6, 2012
Susan Darley-Hill,
Environmental Program Coordinator
Western Lake Superior Sanitary District
Special purpose unit of government
• Created by MN State Legislature in 1971 to
address serious pollution issues in the Lower
St. Louis River Basin
• Governed by a 9-member citizen board of
directors
Responsibilities within 530 sq. mile area:
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Regional Wastewater Authority (1971)
Regional Solid Waste Authority (1974)
Waste is accepted from Lake
County, Cook County,
WLSSD portion of St. Louis
Co. and parts of Carlton Co.
WLSSD Solid Waste Programs
1. Transfer Station
2. Household Hazardous Waste Facility and
Clean Shop Program (Businesses)
3. Materials Recovery Center (MRC)
4. Yard Waste/Organics Compost Site
5. Recycling (Township Sheds, Residential,
Commercial)
Solid Waste Management Plan - 2003
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
M.
Solid Waste Reduction
Solid Waste Education
Recycling Programs
Yard Waste Management
Organic Waste Composting Facility
MSW Land Disposal
Tire Management
Major Appliance Management
Used Oil, Antifreeze and Battery
Management
Household Hazardous Waste Management
Demolition and Construction Debris
Management
Solid Waste Ordinance and Licensing
Waste Electronics Management
Solid Waste Ordinance
Facility
Licensing
(4)
Waste
Handling
Solid Waste
Definitions
Collector
Licensing
(23)
Solid Waste
Charges and
Fees
Enforcement
Transfer Station
Operations
• WLSSD Solid Waste Transfer Station receives MSW
(municipal solid waste) and mixed waste from local
licensed garbage haulers.
• Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage,
consists of everyday items we consume and discard. It predominantly
includes food wastes, containers and product packaging, and other
miscellaneous inorganic wastes from residential, commercial, institutional,
and industrial sources.
• Mixed Waste is acceptable waste that requires extraordinary methods to
achieve compaction and includes furniture and non-hazardous
construction debris and demolition debris
Moccasin Mike Landfill
City of Superior, WI
WLSSD Organics Program
History
• WLSSD banned yard waste from the waste stream in 1991
• The State banned disposal of yard waste in landfills in 1992
• Yard waste compost facility opens Sept 1994 (yard & brush)
• 1997 Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan
demonstrated commitment to future management of select
organic material
• 1999 Waste Sort determined MSW within the District was 14%
organic and could be separated from the waste for beneficial
reuse
WLSSD Organics Program
State capital grant awarded for site
construction
Opened September 2001
Composts source-separated organics
and yard waste
MPCA Permit: 3950 tons yard waste
+ 3950 tons food waste/year
Garden Green® Compost (USCC/STA)
production: 2500+ yds/year
WLSSD Organics Program
Program Objectives
• Support MN Statute 115A.02:
• Separate and recover materials and energy from waste
(WLSSD’s 2007 SSO ordinance)
• Compost source-separated compostable materials (Produce
high-quality Garden Green® Compost)
• Offer convenient, affordable yard waste disposal in a cost-effective
manner.
• Convert organic waste, at site of disposal, to a beneficial product.
WLSSD Organics Program
• Developed successful methods to recover organics from
businesses (2001–present)
• Refined composting operations to accommodate an
increasing volume of organic material (2001-2006)
• Stakeholder meetings (2004-present)
• Seven (now 6) food waste drop sites established for
residents and small business use (2004-2009)
• The WLSSD Board Solid Waste Ordinance with
mandatory diversion of pre-consumer organic waste.
(October 2006)
• WLSSD board established implementation timeline.
(June 2007)
WLSSD Organics Program
Why mandatory?
• Intentional approach will achieve higher
participation and recovery rates: Density
• Recovery replaces disposal; reduces reliance on
landfills.
• Promotes sustainable practices through local
recycling and reuse.
• Supports MPCA goals
Organic waste definitions in ordinance
• Pre-Consumer Organic Waste: Animal and vegetable
waste which results from storage, preparation, cooking,
handling, selling, or serving of food.
• Post-consumer Organic Waste: Organic waste created
after the sale or delivery of food to a consumer.
• Industrial Organic Waste: Inedible, non-paper waste
generated in a large commercial or industrial operation –
such as waste grain and fish hatchery waste.
Pre-consumer
Post-consumer
Which businesses are affected?
Generators of pre-consumer organic waste:
• Grocery stores of 7,500 sq. feet or larger
• Restaurants and caterers (MN Dept of Health
licensing)
• Post-secondary institutions with 1,000 or more fulltime students; prepare meals on-site
• Hospitals and nursing homes having 100 or more
beds, and that prepare and serve meals to employees,
patients, guests, or residents.
• Food manufacturers/processors of 5,000 sq. feet
or larger
• New Categories: Assisted living and Correctional
Facilities (June 1, 2010)
WLSSD Organics Program
Approved Beneficial Re-use Hierarchy
•
Edible food goes to feeding programs for human
consumption (“people”)
•
Organic waste diverted to licensed animal feeding
operation (e.g. pigs)
•
Organic waste diverted to permitted composting
facility (WLSSD) (“pansies”)
WLSSD Organics Program
Cooperative Responsibilities
• WLSSD provides education and technical assistance to
affected businesses/institutions.
• Businesses/institutions contract for organics hauling
service & implement source separation.
• Haulers develop collection schedules; provide suitable
labeled external containers.
• Businesses document donations; drop–site users
document volume and drop-off dates.
• WLSSD conducts compliance checks and ordinance
enforcement.
WLSSD Organics Program
Currently:
• ~200 businesses and institutions are required to
comply with the ordinance (some exempted)
• 3200+ tons of source-separated organics will be
recovered for composting in 2012
• Incoming tonnage approaching permitted site capacity
(seeking permit revision)
WLSSD Organics Program
Residential center
Food prep 12 gallon bin
Duluth area hospital skullery bin (28 gal)
WLSSD Organics Program
Duluth area hospital
WLSSD Organics Program
U of M
Duluth
Post-consumer
pulper
12 cu yd. toter
WLSSD Organics Program
Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center
Prep areas
(All post-consumer separation and collection is behind the scenes.)
WLSSD Organics Program
Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center
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High functioning
Teamwork model
Employee driven solutions
Mission/Ownership culture
Management listens/adopts employee ideas
WLSSD Organics Program
Duluth restaurant, Miller Hill Mall area
WLSSD Organics Program
Downtown Duluth banquet and restaurant facility
Two yard dumpster
Interior garage storage
WLSSD Organics Program
Popular national chain restaurant, Duluth, MN
Garbage corral 95 gallon carts
Prep Scraps: Pre-consumer
Wait staff: Post-consumer
WLSSD Organics Program
Small businesses and residents use self-serve drop sites
Cure
Screen
Compost
PFRP
Test
Bag
Mix
WLSSD Organics Program
25 tons of summer grocery waste
WLSSD Organics Program
Feedstock Challenges:
99% light-weight compostables load
Rogue “degradable” bags and serveware
WLSSD Organics Program
Fishery “waste”…
Our favorite feedstock!
WLSSD Organics Program
QUESTIONS…